Guilt Can Have It's Perks
by Shadowhunter5801
Summary: A fresh out of college Hallie travels to London on her first big trip. She doesn't expect anything more than sightseeing, much less meeting her two favorite youtube stars. But fate has a twist in store for her. Will Hallie find out that life can be more like a movie than she might think?
1. London Landing

Hallie stepped out of the airport, brisk London air a sharp contrast to the warm California breeze she was used to. Just out of college, Hallie had wanted her first 'big trip' to be to the UK. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket. _R u there yet?_ The text from her best friend, Payton, read. _Yep :) just got out of the airport!_ Hallie replied, then put her phone away and looked up at the busy street ahead of her. "Taxi!" she yelled, jumping up and down and flailing her arms wildly, "TAXI!" This went on for about 10 minutes until, finally, a yellow car pulled over. Hallie slid into the back seat, giving the driver the name and address to her hotel. She rubbed her hands together for warmth, then remembered she had been texting Payton. She fished out her phone again.

_Payton:_

_Hallie_

_Payton:_

_Hallie_

_Payton:_

_Hallie!_

_Payton:_

_HALLIE!_

_Payton:_

_Hallie_

_Payton:_

_Hallie_

_Payton:_

_Hallie_

Hallie laughed at the texts that filled her screen. Her friend could be so... impatient.

_Hallie:_

_I'm here. Just spent like ten minutes getting a cab_

_Payton:_

_I TOLD u to rent a car_

_Hallie:_

_I know, I know, u were right :]_

_Payton:_

_So u gonna see Jack and Finn? ;)_

Hallie rolled her eyes. Jack and Finn were these two youtube stars that her and her friend basically stalked when they had time.

_Hallie:_

_*eye roll* Yeah right. Where would I even find them? Break into their house?_

_Payton:_

_Not a bad idea, but there is a way that MIGHT be a little easier and, ya know, more legal. They're at a Comic Con convention that's like right behind ur hotel. Right now._

_Hallie:_

_SERIOUSLY?!_

_Payton:_

_Ya! I wouldn't lie about that! GTG, say hi to the twins at Comic Con for me!_

Hallie bit her lip and checked the time. She _did _have an hour before check in, and it was right behind her hotel... "Could you please drop me off at the comic con convention instead?" she asked the driver. "Of course, its just behind your hotel anyways." the driver replied.

Hallie walked over to the door of the building, placing her hand on the cool metal handle. She was actually going to see _Jack and Finn Harries. _She almost squealed at the mere thought of it. "Get a grip." she told herself, taking a deep breath. She opened the door. As soon as she stepped inside, her heart dropped. The room was packed wall to wall with people. Hallie, with the few inches that she never gained- which Payton always teased her about- made it so that all she could see were heads. There was no way she could see The Twins and get to checkout on time with all of these people. Normally, she would have just stayed and totally disregarded the time, but she'd seen that, because there were so many things happening in London at the time, almost every room in the city was booked, but people still needed a place to stay, so if you weren't there within 30 minutes after your check in time, they would give away your room. She sighed, and elbowed her way out of the crowd, pushing out the door and back outside. She sighed. "Well, then." she said to herself, "I guess that was too good to be true." She rubbed her arms, wondering what she should do next. "Well, I might as well wait in the lobby of the hotel." She thought, "At least it's warm."

She started to walk away from Comic Con to go around to the hotel when something caught her eye. There was a alley, right beside the Comic Con building, leading straight back to where her hotel was. Hallie stopped, then started shifting from foot to foot. It was a dark alleyway, so she wasn't exactly ready to go skipping through it, but then again, it was a lot quicker. "But didn't all the girls in the movies get kidnapped in dark alleys?" A little voice piped up in her head. "Movies." she reassured herself, "They're just movies." She walked cautiously into the passage, eyes flicking all around, watching for movement. Hallie shook her head, laughing a little at her paranoia and began walking, hugging the side of the Comic Con building, the lights making her feel a little safer. Suddenly, a door she hadn't noticed before swung open. The last thing she thought before the door hit her was, "Oh shit." Then, the world went black.


	2. An Unexpected Twist

Hallie took in a sharp breath, eyes fluttering open. She glanced around worriedly. The dark blue comforter and walls were unfamiliar to her, and, though she couldn't see who it was, she could make out pictures on the wall. Definitely not normal for a hotel room. The events of the day before flooded back to her. Going out of Comic Con, walking into the alley, getting hit by the door. Her heart pounded in her chest. She could be anywhere. With anybody. The creak of wooden floorboards reached her ears, and she slipped out of the bed. Hallie sneaked quietly over to the side of the door frame, pressing her back against the wall. Her hands shook as she saw the knob turn, then the door swung inwards. Without a second thought, she tackled the person.

They both hit the wood floor hard, but about a year of self defense training helped Hallie pin the guy down. "What the bloody hell?!" she heard the muffled voice below her. "Who are you, where am I, and what do you want?" she demanded. "Please, just let me up and I'll explain." He assured Hallie, "I promise." Hallie sighed, but relented. Judging by the muscle on the guy, he could have hurt her or gotten her off if he'd wanted to. He rose, his back to her, a little too slow for her own comfort, but she forced herself to remain calm and be patient. "Please don't freak out." she thought she recognized the voice, but no... it couldn't be.

The guy turned to face her, and her mouth dropped open, eyes widening in shock. "Jack? Jack Harries?" She asked timidly, worried her eyes might be deceiving her. Jack smiled sheepishly, looking like he was bracing himself for something. _My reaction_, she realized. "Be calm," she thought to herself, "Be. Calm." "Hi, I'm Hallie." she smiled and stuck out a hand. He was visibly shocked by Hallie's calm mood, his face almost exactly like hers had been a few seconds ago. "Jack," he took her hand, face changing from surprise to a comfortable smile.

"Um... if you don't mind me asking... What am I doing here?" Hallie inquired when they ended the slightly awkward handshake. "Oh..." a blush reddened Jack's cheeks, and Hallie found herself liking his shyness, her being the same way, "Well, I kind of hit you with a door and knocked you out, then felt _really_ bad about it, so I brought you here." So it was Jack who'd hit her! Well, now she wasn't too angry about that. "It's alright." Hallie reassured Jack, "It wasn't your fault. I probably should have known better than to walk back there, and, hey, accidents happen." She had only known the guy for a few minutes, but she already didn't like that he was feeling guilty about this. It honestly could have happened to anybody.

"But it happened to you!" that stupid little voice spoke up in Hallie's head. She quickly dismissed it. "What time is it?" she vouched for that question instead. "Uh, about nine in the morning." Jack answered. Hallie's brow furrowed. That wasn't possible. She'd gotten out of the airport at 11:30, unless... "Oh no!" she closed her eyes tightly. This was not happening. "What is it?" Jack asked, and Hallie was surprised at the concern she saw in his eyes. "Nothing," she shook her head, "I just missed my check in time, and they told me that if I wasn't there in time, they would give my room away." And she had a non-refundable ticket back home for a week from now, and there was no way she could afford another one.

"You could stay here with us..." Jack scratched the back of his neck, still unsure what reactions Hallie would have to his... boldness. "Are you serious?" Hallie wondered if she was hearing things. "Yeah," Jack didn't even seem sure about his decision. "I couldn't..." Hallie shook her head slowly, then moved to grab her purse and suitcase which were sitting by a nightstand. "I'm serious." Jack's fingers closed around her arm, "Stay." She slowly released her grip on the suitcase and purse, turning back around. "Are you absolutely sure?" she bit her lip.

"Yeah."  
"Wait... doesn't Finn live here too?"

"Uh-huh..."

"So.. shouldn't we ask him?"

"Probably not..."

Hallie laughed. "Thank you." she whispered, "Do you have anything to eat?" Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. "Downstairs. Go through the living room and to the right." he directed me, "You can't miss it. I'll get the room ready for you." "Thanks, again." Hallie gave him a little wave before she walked out the door.

Finding the stairs was easy, and Hallie descended them quickly. She started through the living room, but stopped when she saw someone on the couch. A magazine blocked his face from her view, but she could only assume it was Finn. "Hi," she said, but there was no response, so she continued, "I'm Hallie. The girl you're brother hit with a door." "Hello." Finn replied, and Hallie was sure she'd never heard so much coldness contained in one word in her entire life. "Well you seem a lot nicer online." she couldn't stop the words from slipping passed her lips. Finn lowered the magazine, quirking an eyebrow, cocky smirk on his face. He didn't look angry, just amused. "And you're a lot nicer when you sleep." he shot back, finally sitting up and getting a good look at Hallie.

Hallie's jaw tightened, and she was already feeling strong dislike for this guy. To think he used to be her favorite. She guessed Payton was right, personality _did _overpower looks. Suddenly, a buzzing sounded from the coffee table. Her phone, she realized, but it was too late. Finn already had it in his grasp. "Hmm..." he said, holding the phone high above his head, "Payton BFF. She must be important..."

Hallie jumped up, feeling like a little kid as she grabbed for her phone. "Give... it... to... me!" she said between hops. "But I want to hear this." Finn's smirk grew wider as he clicked the answer button. "Hallie?" Payton's voice came through the speakerphone. "Hey, Payton." Hallie shot Finn a venom filled smile, then walked around and sat on the couch, resigned. Finn sat next to me, still holding the phone out of my reach. "Where are you? I've been trying to call you all night?" Payton asked. Finn rolled his eyes, like he was waiting for Hallie to scream that she was at his house. She had a sudden urge to prove him wrong. "I'm at my hotel." she smirked at the plain shock on Finn's face, "Sorry, I spent, like, all of yesterday at Comic Con..." "DID YOU SEE JACK AND FINN?!" Payton practically shrieked, "Ohmigosh, are they hotter in person than on tv? Is Jack as awesome as he is online?! Oh, and how about Finn? I know he's your favorite, I mean you practically drool-" "OKAY!" Hallie cut Payton off and heard Payton's laughter through the phone. "Well, it's true." Payton defended herself. Hallie's cheeks grew red as she saw both of Finn's eyebrows raised, hand dangerously close to hers, a look in his eyes that dared her to grab it.

"Well, yes I did see them." Hallie refused to scoot away and let Finn win, "and jack is as awesome as he is online, nice too. Finn, on the other hand, is kind of an ass. Well, I gotta go! Bye!" "Bye." Payton answered, then the phone call was ended. Finn's mouth hung open, as he was obviously not expecting being put in his place. Hallie easily grabbed the phone, getting up and walking into the kitchen. Little did she know, Finn watched her leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry, its been a while! I completely lost my charger only to find out that I left it in my science class :-] Thanks! Hope you like it. I would love it if you could review and PM me with ideas or criticism!**

Hallie stepped into the kitchen, triumphant smile lighting up her face. "Hey!" Jack walked into the kitchen behind her, "So I see you've met my brother." She turned around and crossed her arms. "Yeah..." Hallie didn't want to insult his brother right to his face, but she wasn't about to lie either, so she just settled on saying nothing. Jack laughed. "He already told me what you said to him." Jack said, smiling, "I don't blame you." "Really?" Hallie asked. "No." Jack said, "You're right." "Are-" Hallie was interrupted by her grumbling stomach, which made her face grow red, and caused Jack to laugh.

"Maybe we should get some food in you." He told Hallie, still smiling wide, then he opened a cupboard. "Is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich alright?" He pulled out the ingredients and set them on the counter. "That would be great." Hallie replied, but at that point, she probably would have eaten anything. "What's so funny?" she heard the voice behind her and turned around. "Nothing." she said, offering Finn a tight smile. She would be the bigger person. Finn rolled his eyes. "Well," he said to Jack, "Looks like you were right about her not being a fan faking it. I don't even think she's really a fan." Hallie's jaw tightened. This guy had a special way of getting under her skin, and she had only met him a few minutes ago. "Oh I'm a fan." she told Finn, "Just not of you." "Burn." Jack coughed out the word, earning a glare from Finn. "Oh, by the way," Jack handed Hallie the sandwich, which she bit into gratefully, then he turned to his brother, "Hallie will be staying with us while she's here in London." "WHAT!" Finn's yell made Hallie jump a little bit. "Don't sound too excited." she muttered under her breath, then took a seat at the counter. Finn didn't say anything else, he just stared daggers at Jack.

"Calm down, will you? It's just a week." Jack's jaw seemed tight, and Hallie wondered if the twins weren't as good of friends as they seemed onscreen. An awkward silence settled over the group, and nobody really knew what to say to break it. Luckily, Jack's phone went off, and Hallie hoped he would say something about it, because she was quickly growing uncomfortable. "Crap! I have to go out and run some errands!" his mouth twisted into a mischievous smirk, and Hallie knew she wasn't going to like whatever was coming next.

"Hey, Finn." Jack's smile grew, "Why don't you take Hallie sightseeing, you know, to bond!" Both Finn and Hallie had the same reaction, jaws dropping and speechless. "Great!" Jack said without waiting for either of us to answer, "Bye!" He grabbed his jacket and walked out the door, pretending not to notice the piercing stares directed at the back of his head

"You don't have to take me anywhere." Hallie told Finn as soon as his brother was out of the house, "I'll be fine alone." "It's fine," Finn sighed like it was a huge deal, and this alone ticked Hallie off, "I'll take you around the city. Without someone watching you, who knows who might knock you out this time." His lips tipped up slightly at the corners as he waited for her to respond. "I don't need a babysitter." She seethed. She didn't know how, but Finn seemed to know exactly what to say to get to her. "Well, judging by your height, I think you do. You look just like a cute little girl." Finn retorted.

Hallie narrowed her eyes at him, and before she could really even process what she was doing, she knocked him flat on his back and straddled him, pinning him to the ground. "Don't _ever_ call me a child," she growled, voice deadly low and calm. Finn's eyes grew wide in surprise for the second time that day. She had to admit, even though he didn't have the best personality, he was still cute. There were only a few inches between their faces, and if she dipped her head down just- she stopped that train of thought. There was no way she could want to get involved with a guy like Finn, a guy that was clearly a player, and even if she wanted to, she bet a hundred girls a lot better looking than her threw themselves at him the second they saw him. But if he was a player, just a kiss would be harmless, just to get it out of her system- _NO,_ She scolded herself, _You are not one of _those_ girls._

As if he knew exactly what was going through her head, Finn reached a hand up to push a stray hair from Hallie's face. She caught his wrist. "Don't. Even. Try. It." Hallie was warning herself as much as she was warning Finn. "Then will you let me get up?" he asked, cocky smirk replacing the surprised expression. Hallie rose to her feet, offering Finn a hand, which he ignored. "Let's go." He said, "Oh, you might want to grab a coat before you leave, it's going to be really cold where I plan to take you."

"Oh my god." Hallie breathed, "You've got to be kidding me." "What?" Finn asked her, "It's the London Eye. You have to go on it at least once before you leave." She swallowed hard, staring up at the 450 foot wheel. "It's not a tourist attraction," she rubbed her arms more for comfort than warmth, "it's a spinning, metal death-trap." Finn raised his eyebrows. "Are you scared?" Hallie heard the slight mocking note to his tone. "No!" There was no way Hallie was admitting her fear of heights to Finn, knowing he would use it to tease her, "I was kidding. It's just... cold up there." "Why do you think I had you bring a jacket?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the line not paying attention to her protests. "Don't we need tickets," Hallie's voice had taken on a slight whine. "Don't worry, I know a guy." He didn't even look back, and Hallie was a bit grateful, given the fact that she was probably shaking.

Then, he started to pull her again, this time, around all the people and to the front of the line. "What are you doing?!" Hallie hissed through clenched teeth, trying to disregard the glares directed their way, "We can't just cut all these people!" "Can you not hear? I know a guy." Finn said the last sentence slowly, like he was taking to a three year old, but Hallie was too caught up in her fear to notice. Finn waved at the guy letting people on, and the guy waved back. Hallie briefly remembered the two having a conversation, and she may have spoken once or twice, but she wasn't paying attention. She was jolted out of her thoughts by five words. "You two can get on." the guy told them.

Finn got on first, then, none too gracefully, Hallie entered after him. It was only a second after they had sat down in the car before they began to rise. "Oh god." Hallie thought to herself, "Omigod. Calm! You're fine!" Finn didn't talk; he seemed too transfixed on the view, which Hallie tried her hardest to avoid. Finally, they reached the top. _This is the worst part, _Hallie thought, _Just get through this, it's only this for a second, then you start going down..._ Her thoughts ceased when she realized that the car was no longer moving. They were completely stopped, suspended in air at the very top of the wheel.

Now, Hallie couldn't stop herself from looking. She saw the whole city of London laid out in front of her. For most people, it would be amazing, but to Hallie, it made her almost lose her lunch then and there. The world began to dip and sway around her as tightness formed in her chest. "Isn't it amazing?" her ears caught the words out of Finn's mouth, but she couldn't reply. "Hallie?" he spoke again, "Hallie are you alright?" Hallie tried to scoot into the middle of the car, but instead she pressed into Finn. At this point, she didn't care, though. All she cared about was getting away from the outside.

Hallie was surprised when she felt an arm wrap around her, and Finn pull her closer to him. For some reason, even though she knew he couldn't save her if the car fell and they dropped 40 stories, she felt safer closer to him. "Hallie?" the concern, which she didn't expect, in Finn's voice was what made Hallie look up. "Yes?" the word came out of her mouth as more of a squeak than anything else. "Are you afraid of heights?" He asked her, and she looked into his eyes, seeing that he wasn't trying to tease her. He was genuinely worried about her. Hallie managed a nod, and his arm tightened around her. "It's okay," he whispered soothingly, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you." This did Hallie in, and she buried her face in his chest, too scared to look up. "C'mere." Finn pulled her onto his lap, stroking her hair with his free hand. Hallie threw her arms around his neck and clung to Finn like a lifeline, then, she heard the creak of gears as the Ferris Wheel began to move once again.

"We're at the bottom." Finn said softly, and Hallie lifted her head. He was right. They were just slowing down to stop. Her face grew red and she slid off of his lap, letting him off before her. She was surprised when he offered her a hand to help her out. She took it, and definitely didn't expect what came next. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and lifted her out of the car with ease. "Uh, thanks." she said when Finn set her down, not sure what to make of his sudden change of attitude. "C'mon." he grabbed her hand, but didn't drag her behind him like he had before. "Where are we going?" Hallie asked, stopping. "Well, I was thinking we could go get some gnoch." Finn told her, "I know this great restaurant be the river." Hallie nodded, but didn't say anything, afraid that if she made a sound, the Finn that she'd left the house with would come back. They walked slowly, hand in hand, down the London streets.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N PLEASE READ!**

**I just wanted to say that Nymphadorable Neriece, as my first reviewer, is AWESOME! Also, I HIT 100 VEIWS! WHOO! I also want to add a little encouragement to review, so I made up a little poll for you guys, and everyone who answers before 12/20 will get a preview of the next chapter! **

**1. What is your favorite book series?**

**2. Who is your favorite YouTuber?**

**3. What is your favorite color**

**4. What is your favorite song**

**5. Favorite band**

**BONUS (if you can answer this, I will try to feature you in the story): In the book series, The Mortal Instruments, Simon, Alec, Izzy, and Magnus are on their way to help Simon summon an angel. What do they tell Alec to tell his dad in answer to why Alec is gay?**

**THANKS! -Shadowhunter5801**

* * *

Hallie and Finn walked back into the house, Hallie holding her stomach, laughing at something Finn said. "Hey." Jack's head popped up from where he was lying on the couch, "Oh, guys. I was wondering of you'd seen some people. They left here about three hours ago. They look exactly like you, but they hate each other." "Shut up." Hallie plopped down beside him and elbowed him in the side, "I actually kind of like Finn." "Speak for yourself." Finn's voice drifted in from the kitchen. "See he feels the same... Wait, what?" Hallie stopped, her mind processing Finn's words.

"I said, 'speak for yourself.'" Finn spoke the last three words like Hallie was a three year old. Finn walked around and sat next to Hallie, acting like he just hadn't said that he basically hated her. Hurt that she hadn't expected jolted through her. She had been nice to him, he had made her laugh, she had revealed her fear to him. "So what was all that?" she motioned to the outside, to the city. "Don't take it personally," he sighed, a cocky smirk on his face, "but the girls eat it up like bait. Finn Harries, not only hot, but a softy." Hallie clenched her teeth, jaw tight, anger cutting through the hurt like a knife. She was so stupid. Of course a person couldn't change that fast, she had tricked herself just as much as he had. "I'm going to get some water." She growled, standing up and walking to the kitchen stiffly, just in case she would do something stupid. Like punch him.

Hallie threw open the cupboards and slammed them shut, finally finding the glasses. She needed to cool down. She walked over to the sink and filled her glass, chugging it then and there, then setting it in the sink. She would wash it later, when she wasn't in danger of breaking it. Hallie turned around, and almost shrieked.

Finn stood not even a foot in front of her, hands on the counter on either side of her. His eyes were filled with kindness, like they had been on the Ferris Wheel. When she was sure they had been genuine. She couldn't think of anything to say, in fact her mind couldn't form a coherent thought if she'd wanted it to. All she could think of was how close they were.

"Did you honestly think I liked you? After just one time my brother _forced_ me to go out with you?" Of course he'd had to open his huge mouth. "But I can tell you like me." he added, and this fueled Hallie's smart-allec response. "No," Hallie said, her voice not sounding quite as strong as she'd wanted it to, "that's just your ego." Finn raised a brow, then his gaze lowered to her lips. Ever so slowly, he started moving their faces closer. Against every rational thought she normally would have had, she leaned forwards a tiny bit, closing her eyes and waiting. But the kiss never came.

Her eyes fluttered open to find that Finn was no longer in front of her, but leaning on the other side of the counter. He raised a brow again. "Really? Just my ego?" he smirked, "Oh, and your cheeks get red when you lie. It's kind of cute." And then he stood up and walked out.

**Finn's POV**

Finn walked out of the kitchen triumphant smirk on his face. He sat down on the couch next to his brother. "What in god's name did you do?" Jack asked, not missing a beat. "Why do you immediately assume I did something?" Finn asked, putting up the same innocent expression he'd used on Hallie. Jack narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. "You have this smile on your face..." Jack said. "It's the same one you always have when you do something..." Finn sighed, resting his arms behind his head. "What you don't know won't hurt you, little brother." Finn rolled his eyes, acting like the words were a huge effort.

"I'm not your little brother!" Jack defended himself, successfully distracted, "IT WAS FOUR FREAKING MIN... wait, where's Hallie." "In the kitchen." Finn said, shrugging like it was no big deal. "I'm going to give you one last chance." Jack warned his twin, "What. Did. You-" Hallie burst through the kitchen door, and Finn let out a small sigh of relief. "Hey Jack!" Hallie smiled at Jack as she walked passed, headed for the stairs. Finn waited for his greeting, but it never came. This did not sit well with him for some reason. "Hey, what about me?" He called. Hallie didn't stop, she didn't turn around, she didn't talk. She just gave him a certain one finger wave above her head as she climbed the stairs. Finn's mouth dropped open, and he couldn't contain the small chuckle that came out. Hallie may be small, but she was feisty, and he liked it.

_It's just because you've never been able to talk to a girl longer than a second before they threw themselves at you, _Finn told himself, but he couldn't get over the fact that Hallie did almost the exact opposite. Well, if you excluded the kitchen incident. Finn was snapped back to reality when he heard his brother begin to laugh softly. "What is it?" Finn asked. "You like her." Jack said, smiling and shaking his head, "You _like _her. A lot." "Pfft, I do not like Hallie." Finn denied, but he wasn't quite sure who he was trying to convince, himself or his brother, "I barely tolerate her, what on Earth would make you think that I like her?"

"Well, there is the fact that you stared at the spot where she was at least a minute after she was gone."  
"And... Oh you mean _that _kind of like. You have to admit, she does have... some curves, at least I think."

"Finn..."

"What?"  
Finn almost withered from the glare that Jack targeted him with. "Do _not _mess with her." Jack's voice had grown low and menacing, "She is nice, pretty, and doesn't need a guy like you to give her trouble."

"You aren't the boss of me," Finn growled back, "What I do with who I want is none of your business." "Well," Jacks face went from cold and hard to cunning, "I could just tell her the truth." "What truth?" Finn tried to act nonchalant, but failed as his voice grew higher with every word.

"You know," Jack sighed, "technically, you wouldn't have had this problem if we had dropped her at the hospital, like I'd suggested. You were the one who hit her with the door, you were the one who wanted to bring her here, and now I like her, and, before you even ask, not that way. She is not just some toy you can play with, she is my friend, and don't even deny it, I know, soon she'll be yours, if not more. And if you ever hurt her, I will gladly tell her the actual version of yesterday. So if you'll excuse me..." Jack rose and left the room, leaving Finn alone, and shocked, on the couch.

**Hallie's POV**

Hallie gripped the counter, taking in a jagged breath. _Your cheeks get red when you lie. It's kind of cute, _the words bounced around in her ears, but she couldn't process them. All she was at right now was that two seconds ago, she had been centimeters from kissing Finn Harries, and now, he wasn't even in the room. All she could think about was his breath on her lips, the brisk, almost minty, scent that followed him.

Finally, the words got through to Hallie's brain, and the dazed turned into full fledged anger. How dare he do that to her! Lead her on like that and leave her there! How dare he not finish that kiss! _Whoa, hold up there, _Hallie thought to herself, _now where in the heck did that last one come from?_ She conveniently blamed it on hormones, then got back to her boiling hot rage.

What could she do to him? How could she put him back in his place, take him down a notch? Then, the idea came to her. The most surprised Finn had been with Hallie was when she flat out punched his ego in the gut, so why not do that again.

Hallie took a deep breath, preparing herself. She had majored in acting in college! She could do this! She threw open the door to the kitchen, making sure she got their attention as she stepped into the living room. "Hey, Jack." she smiled at him, struggling to not even spare Finn a glance. Then, she turned and walked to the stairs. It was the hardest thing she had done in her life not to turn around, because she could _feel_ Finn's eyes on her. "Hey, what about me?" speak of the devil.

Hallie forced herself to remain 'in character' as she rose a suggestive finger high over her head for Finn to see. Without stopping, she reached the landing, then turned and walked into her room, closing the door behind her and sliding down to the floor.

How could a guy have her so fired up that she would knock him flat on his back, then, he melted her inside. Never had a guy been able to do this to her. It was always one or the other, but with Finn, it was like a pendulum. One second she was swinging high one way, then the next, she was on the compete opposite side.

Hallie raked her fingers through her hair, letting out an exasperated noise. This couldn't happen. She would not let a _guy_ rule her emotions. She wouldn't just be there for entertainment. Right then and there, she vowed to herself that she would not let Finn get under her skin any more. It was actually funny how soon she broke that promise.


	5. Like Broken Glass

**Hallie's POV**

Hallie woke up from her wonderful dream. She'd dreamed that she'd be spending her time in London with Jack and Finn Harries, because Jack had hit her and knocked her out with a side door. She laughed at the thought, but sighed when she realized that to go sightseeing, she would actually have to get her butt out of bed. She groaned. Okay, at least she had to open her eyes.

Hallie's eyes fluttered open, and the world around her slowly came into focus. The soft comforter that covered her wasn't a hotel's it was Jack's. So it wasn't a dream. Hallie beamed, then she remembered the kitchen thing, and her smile faltered. She took a deep breath reminding herself of her pledge, then sat up, leaning back on the headboard. She stretched out her arms, then yawned.

Hallie scanned the room until her eyes finally landed on a dark form that lied on the couch. She reluctantly slipped out of the sheets and walked over to the sleeping Jack. She looked down, and determined that she must have been hallucinating, because it wasn't Jack asleep in her room. It was Finn.

Hallie closed her eyes hard, but when she opened them again, the face in front of her was still the same. She sighed, pulling the blanket that hung on the back of the couch down. She unfolded it and covered Finn's sleeping form, fingertips accidentally brushing his cheek on the way down.

Finn stirred, and Hallie held her breath, hoping with all her might that he wouldn't wake up. Instead, he grabbed her hand, put it under his head, and nestled his face into it. Of course, Jack picked that moment to walk in. When Hallie's eyes met his, he froze, taking in the scene before him. Hallie inwardly cringed as Jack obviously got the wrong picture and he raised an eyebrow.

Hallie shook her head vigorously, not saying anything as to not wake the sleeping Finn. Jack rolled his eyes, then mischief sparkled behind them. He made a heart with his hands, then winked, walking out and shutting the door behind him. Correction: slamming the door behind him. Finn groaned and Hallie bit her lip as his eyes opened. He a few times before Hallie saw the fog clear from his vision. Finn's mouth slowly formed an 'o' as he saw Hallie in front of him, then, his expression grew even more shocked when his line of sight followed Hallie's arm until he couldn't see it anymore without moving his head, but Hallie could see that he got the picture.

"Uh, good morning, Finn." Hallie said, trying to smile, but it came out looking like more of a grimace. She saw Finn swallow hard, then he slowly picked his head up and released Hallie's wrist. She drew back her hand and nervously rubbed her arms, not quite sure how to dispel the awkward silence. "Finn, why are you in here?" Hallie blurted out, unable to contain the question any longer.

Finn scratched the back of his neck, then stretched out his arms, taking his own precious time. Hallie saw the cocky, condescending look once again on his face. It was strange. Until now, Hallie hadn't realized how peaceful, how innocent, Finn looked without that expression. "How handsome." she admitted to herself. Then, she realized that he still hadn't answered her. "Finn." her voice came out a bit more forceful, an abnormality at this hour in the morning, "Why. Are. You. In. Here?" He rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh, and Hallie knew he was just trying to tick her off. "Well," Finn drawled out slowly, "I came to apologize." "What?!" Hallie exclaimed, "You, apologizing?" Maybe there really was a nice guy under that-

"Actually, Jack _made_ me come and apologize." Finn added. Well, out with the nice guy theory for the second time. "Finn, there's no point in apologizing if you don't mean it." Hallie said tiredly. "Exactly!" Finn agreed, "That's what I told Jack, but he said that I had to come in here!" Hallie clenched her fists and teeth, trying to take a deep breath to calm herself, but she realized something in that moment. If Finn had come to apologize, he would have left as soon as he saw that she was asleep, but he didn't.

"Finn, why are you still in here?" Hallie asked, raising her eyebrows. "I just told you-" Hallie held up her hand, silencing Finn. "If you came up here to apologize, you wouldn't still be here." She accused, "You would have left the second you found out I was asleep." He started to speak, but was interrupted by Jack barging in. "Finn, did you steal my shirt again?" Jack almost yelled. "Pshh, no." Finn replied, but even I could tell that was a flat out lie.

"Really?" Jack stomped over to the closet and threw open the door. He rummaged around until he finally found what he was looking for. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed as he held up a shirt. Hallie rolled her eyes. "Jack," She sighed, "you do realize that by finding the shirt in your own closet, you just proved yourself wrong, right?" The anger that had burned in Jack's eyes was now gone, replaced by something much worse. Vengeance. "Oh, dear brother, you haven't told her yet, have you?" He asked.

Hallie turned to see Finn shaking his head vigorously back and forth. She looked back at Jack to see that his smirk had grown into a full blown Cheshire Cat smile. "Well, Hallie," Jack started, "I think you should know that this isn't my room, it's Finn's." Then, Jack, satisfied, turned and walked out of the room once again, leaving Hallie alone with his twin. "Is that true?" Hallie asked, eyebrows raised, but Finn didn't answer her. Instead, he just got up and mumbled something about murdering his brother before walking into the hall and slamming the door, _his_ door, shut behind him. A very confused Hallie was left sitting there and staring after the two boys.

**Finn's POV**

"What the bloody hell was that?" Finn hissed in his brother's ear. Jack's lips curled into a smirk, and it took all Finn had not to slap it right off his brother's face. "All I told her was the truth." Jack shook his head, not even stopping. Finn walked a bit faster and stood in front of Jack, blocking his way to make him stop. "And I _asked _you, very nicely, might I add, not to do just that." Finn growled, extremely angry with his brother. "And I asked you _very nicely _not to steal my shirt without asking." Jack retorted, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow. Finn couldn't help but see how much his brother looked exactly like him in that moment.

"Why?" Finn asked simply. Jack sighed, and the look he gave Finn made Finn prepare for the worst. A lecture. "Finn," Jack started, and the look he gave Finn made Finn think that Jack looked much older than he actually was, "you have to stop this. Hallie's nice, and, might I add, isn't just interested in how you look. If you would give her a chance, she might surprise you. I've only known her for a day and I see that. Doesn't that say _something_!? Finn, you can't keep doing this. You can't push everyone you meet away from you! Wait, I'm sorry, you don't push everyone you meet away, only the people that you might actually start to care about, the people who might actually care about _you._ You have to understand that not everyone is going to walk out on you. You can't go through life just acting like you don't care, because I know you do!" Finn looked down at his feet, not able to say anything, knowing that everything his twin said was true. By this point, Jack's voice had risen to almost a shout, but he lowered it for what he said next. "You don't think I see it, do you?" Jack asked, but it was more of a statement than a question, "The way you look at her when you think nobody sees you. The lengths you go to to keep her on her toes. The look you get on your face whenever you make her genuinely mad. Like you hate what you're doing, but you don't want to let her get close. It's because you think she'll leave you, just like Mom and Dad. _She won't._ And don't deny that you care about her, because if you didn't, she wouldn't be in _your_ room. She wouldn't have slept on _your_ bed. For God's sake, she wouldn't be here period. I've seen the way you treat people you don't care about. If you really didn't care about her, we would have dropped her at the hospital, paid the bill, and left. But we didn't, because of you. You cared about her from the second you first saw her. Don't let her slip through your fingers! Oh, and if you want to see your car keys again, you'll do something nice _with _Hallie." And then Jack walked away, but Finn was rooted to the spot. He couldn't get a single phrase out of his head though. _Don't let her slip through your fingers._

**Hallie's POV**

Hallie had heard the yelling through the wall. She wasn't going to lie and act like she hadn't. She'd heard Jack talking, and then his voice had grown too soft for her to hear. A little while later, she'd heard receding footsteps. Who they belonged to, Hallie didn't know. Ever so slowly, she twisted the knob on her door. Looking down the hall, she spotted a tall form, and on instinct, she knew it was Finn. She didn't know how, honestly, at this angle, she shouldn't be able to tell which brother it was, much less after only a day of knowing the two, but she just knew. And it had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the butterflies in her stomach she felt every time she was near Finn.

With slow, cautious steps, Hallie made her way to the boy standing in the hall. She walked around, but when she looked into his eyes, it was like he couldn't see her. Though he would most likely never acknowledge it, Hallie could see the glisten of tears about to spill over. That's how she knew something was _seriously_ wrong. "Finn," she whispered softly, "Finn." He just continued to stare blankly right over her head. Then, she did something that went completely and wholly against the vow she had made to herself not 12 hours ago.

Hallie wrapped her arms tightly around Finn. She felt him stiffen, but soon, he relaxed in her embrace. Then, he did something that she never in a million years thought he would do. Finn Harries hugged her. He seemed to absentmindedly stroke her hair as he began to slightly rock her. A small smile brushed across Hallie's face. Maybe, just maybe, he was genuine this time. Maybe this time, he wasn't toying with her.

After who know how long, Hallie lifted her head from where it rested on Finn's chest. "Finn," she said softly, "are you okay?" He looked down at her, eyes clear of the fog that had covered them when she'd first come out. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, but this time, it wasn't flirty. Finn bit his lip, and Hallie could see the war going on in his mind. Would he trust her, or would he keep pushing her away?

Finally, Hallie could see that Finn made up his mind. He took her hand in his own, and started walking, Hallie following close behind. He didn't say anything as they walked down the stairs and into the living room, Finn guiding Hallie to the couch and sitting down. She tentatively sat beside him, and watched as he stared straight ahead. He stayed like this for about a minute, then turned to face Hallie.

Hallie couldn't deny it. In that moment, he looked not innocent, but downright vulnerable. So open. In that second, Hallie knew she couldn't ignore it anymore. Just seeing him like this, the real Finn Harries, pushed her over the edge. She was head over heels for this guy. She had fallen for him the second he'd made his first smart-allec remark. And another thing she knew was that she couldn't stand to see him like this.

"Finn, please tell me what's wrong." Hallie begged. Finn took in a shaky breath. "I... Nobody but Jack knows this..." Finn started, then paused, but Hallie waited patiently, knowing that this was extremely hard for him to say, "When Jack and I were 16, our parents left us. It was the middle of the night, and they never even said goodbye. To this day, we don't know why, we don't know where they are, we don't know if they even care. Jack was able to move on, not to forget about it, but to live with it. I wasn't. I still can't. I- I haven't been able to trust anyone since. Anyone who I think I might remotely care about I push away. I push them away, because if I let them in I give them the power to hurt me. And I can't... I can't get hurt again."

On the last few words, Finn's voice cracked. All Hallie had to do was open her arms, and Finn fell in. His body shook with tears, as she hugged him tightly once again, stroking his back and rocking him comfortingly. "Shhhh." she tried to calm him down, "Shhhh, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She didn't tell him everything would be okay though, because she knew it wouldn't.

Now, Hallie understood. She saw a 16 year old boy. She saw him getting up one morning, calling out for his mom and dad. She saw him looking around the house, in the yard. Everywhere. But they were gone without a trace, like they'd never even existed. She saw him cracked, not beyond repair, but so bad that even he thought he was shattered. But Hallie would take it into her own hands to pick up the pieces.

After a bit, Finn pulled back and looked at Hallie again. She gently reached up and brushed the tear trails from his cheeks. He caught her hand, and she let him lace his fingers in her own. "I'm sorry," He whispered, "about how I've acted towards you. Yesterday, I honestly did have an amazing time. That's why I said what I said afterward, because I knew that if I actually told you the truth, I'd be letting you in..." "I forgive you." Hallie replied, smiling, "Now let's get to bed."

Hallie and Finn walked into Finn's bedroom, and Hallie guided Finn to the bed. "Lie down." she told him, softly pushing him into the matress. "No." he protested, "I'm fine on the couch. You're the guest, I want you to be comfortable." Hallie sighed, seeing in Finn's eyes that there was no way she was getting out of sleeping on the bed. This caused Hallie to do something _very_ unusual for her.

"The bed is big enough for the both of us." Hallie said, crawling under the covers next to Finn. He stared at her in astonishment. "Are you sure?" He asked. "Positive." she replied, smiling. "Thank you." Finn mumbled tiredly, and he closed his eyes, immediately falling into a deep sleep. "Goodnight, Finn." She pressed a small kiss in between his eyebrows. Right then, she was sure of one thing. Finn was afraid of getting hurt, but he had opened up to her anyways, and there wasn't a damn thing that she was gonna let happen to him.

* * *

**Deep, right. At first I was just like, "Let's make Jack get some payback." And then I'm like, "Eh, why not give Finn extreme abandonment issues." ;). Posting a new chapter soon! See you all later! Review please!**

**-Shadowhunter5801**


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